Loose-sheet holder.



PATENTED AUG. 2

A. LAWSON.

LOOSE SHEET HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILED 0e15, 1903.

NO MODEL.

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462561 flfld'dd'aiu UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

ALBERT LAIVSOM'OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LOOSE-SHEET HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,364, dated August2, 1904.

Application filed October 5,1903 Serial No. 175,732. (No model.)

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Be it known that I, ALBERT Lnwsox, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in LooseSheet Holders, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification. a

My invention relates to a device for receiving and holding loose sheetsof paper, it being pz'irticularly intended for use in assembling andconfining tissue copies of railrozul-waybills, but is of utility in thebinding of any loose sheets.

The device is of a description that renders it adaptable for use eitheras a temporary binder or in binding loose sheets into permanentcondition.

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a perspective view of my loosesheet holder. Fig. II is alongitudinalsection taken on line II II, Fig. I, with the bed-block ofthe holder in elevated position. Fig. III is a section taken on line IIIIII, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a top view of the central portion of the holderbed-block and the clamp therein with one of the paper-receiving prongsand the post therein shown in section. Fig. V is a perspective view of ashield for application to the prongs of the holder for the protection ofits user when the holder is being handled. Fig. VI is a top view of thepaper-confining clutch used to hold the loose sheets assembled on theprongs of the holder. Fig. VII is a longitudinal section taken on lineVII VII, Fig. VI, through the paper-confining clutch.

1 designates the base of my loose-sheet holder, upon the rear portion ofwhich is mounted a bed-block 2, that is connected to the base by hinges3, so that it may be swung into a vertical position, as seen in Fig. II.

4 designates supporting-strips extending transversely of the bed-block 2and suitably secured to said block. Mounted on these supporting-stripsis a fixed clamp-bar 5, that is rigidly secured to said strips by rivets6 or other suitable means.

7 is a loose clamp-bar seated on the supporting-strips I and extendingin a line parallel with the fixed clamp-bar 5,thereby placing the twoclamp-lmrs in opposition to each other for clamping action. Each of theclamp-bars is provided at intervals with notches, which when broughttogether form apertures, in which prongs to be hereinafter mentioned areheld in upright positions. Through the medium of the supporting-strips4: the clampbars 5 and 7 are upheld at an elevation from the bed-block 2fora purpose that will hereinafter be made clear.

8 is an eccentric, having a handle 9 and swingingly mounted upon thebed-block Qby means of a pivot-stud 10. This eccentric is designed toact as a pressure member to carry the loose clamp-bar 7, against whichit bears, to the fixed clamp-bar 5 for clamping action.

11 designates the loose sheetreceiving prongs that are held between theclamp-bars 5 and 7. These prongs are provided at their upper ends withpoints 12 and have opes lower ends, as seen in Fig. II. The prongreceive serrated wires 13, that are provided with heads lei, whichoccupy positions exterior of the prongs. \Vhen the prongs are seatedbetween the clamp-bars with the wires 13 within them, the heads of thewires occupy positions beneath the clamp-bars, as seen in Fig. II, forwhich purpose the clamp-bars are elevated by the supporting-strips I, asexplained.

In Fig. II, I have shown my sheet-holder in the condition in which it isused in assembling sheets of paper thereon and in which A designates acover-board of a binder which is applied to the prongs 11, and Bdesignates sheets of paper assembled on the holder above saidcover-board.

15 designates. a clutch-bar which is provided with a series of apertures16, corre sponding in number to the number of sheetreceiving prongs 11.Hounted on the clutchbar are spring-fingers 17, each having one endfixed to the bar and having its opposite end free and notched to engagethe sheet-re- 1 dled.

with the prongs, which are necessarily sharp ceiving prongs, as shown bydotted lines, Fig.

VII, to hold the clutch-bar in engagement with said prongs. The clutch,consisting of the parts described, is designed to be applied to theprongs 11 after a quantity of loose sheets have been assembled on theholder, and when so applied it serves to hold the sheets in place whilethe holder is being han- 18 designates a shield, preferably of sheetmetal, and consisting of aplate 19, which carries a hood 20 and has ateach of its ends a cone 21. This shield is designed for application tothe points of the prongs 11, as seen in Figs. II and V, when theloose-sheet holder is being handled by the user at any other time thanduring the process of assembling sheets of paper thereon. The shieldserves as a protection for the points of the prongs and as a guard toprevent injury to the person using or handling the holder by coming incontact to facilitate the operation of assembling the sheets of paperthereon.

As hereinbefore stated, my holder is of utility both as a temporarybinder and as a means for assembling loose sheets of paper for permanentbinding. In its use as a temporary binder the parts of the holder areutilized in the manner described, the sheets of paper being confinedupon the prongs and the points of the prongs protected, as stated.Whenever it is desired to examine the sheets of paper, the bed-block 2is swung into the vertical position, (seen in Fig. II,) thereby throwingthe prongs into a horizontal position. WV hen this has been done, thesheets are held firmly, the same as if in a bound book, in opencondition and may be turned and examined with facility and returned tothe original position after examination without disturbing any of themembers of the holder.

When it is desired to assemble additional sheets of paper on the holder,it is only necessary to remove the shield 18. and the paperconfiningclutch. v

Where the holder is used as a medium for assembling sheets of paper tobe bound in permanent form, the same operation as that described inassembling the sheets on the holder is carried out, and after therequired number of sheets have been assembled a coverboard correspondingto that designated as A is passed over the sheet-receiving prongs, so]

that the sheets will be confined between two covers. The loose clamp-bar7 is then released and the prongs 11 are drawn out of the assembledsheets of paper, therebyieaving the wires 13 therein. The wires may thenbe secured by any suitable means to the covers to complete the back.

I claim as my invention 1. In a loose-sheet holder, the combination of abase, a bed-block hinged to said base, and tubular sheet-receivingprongs carried by said bed-block, said prongs being removably held tosaid bed-block and open at their lower ends to receive binding-wires,substantially as described.

2. In a loose-sheet holder, the combination of a base, a bed-blockhinged to said base, tubular sheet-receiving prongs surmounting saidbed-block, and a clamp seated on said bedblock and confining saidprongs, said prongs being removably held to said bed-block and open attheir lower ends to receive bindingwires, substantially as described.

3. In a loose-sheet holder, the combination of-a bed-block, a clampsurmounting said bedblock and elevated therefrom, tubular prongsconfined Joy said clamp, and headed bindingwires positioned in saidprongs, said prongs being removably held within said clamp and open attheir lower ends to receive said binding-wires, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a loose-sheet holder, the combination of a base, a bed-blockhinged to said base, tubular sheet-receiving prongs surmounting saidbed-block, and a clutch applied to said prongs to confine the sheetsassembled thereon, said prongs being removably held to said bedblock andopen at their lower ends to receive binding-wires, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a loose-sheet holder, the combination of a base, a bed-blockhinged to said base, sheet-receiving prongs surmounting said bedblock, aclutch applied to said prongs to confine the sheets assembled thereon,and 'a shield fitting over the points of said prongs, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a loose-sheet holder, the combination of a base, a bed-blockhinged to said base, supporting-strips mounted on said bed-block, astationary clamp-bar seated on said supporting-strips, a loose clamp-barseated on said supporting-strips for movement to said stationaryclamp-bar, sheet-receiving and binding-wire-holding prongs confinedbetween said clamp-bars, and an eccentric for moving said looseclamp-bar to said stationary clamp-bar, substantially as described.

. ALBERT LAWSON.

In presence of E. S. KNIGHT, BLANCHE HOGAN.

